Old Friends
by GodlyJewel
Summary: Time is closing in and Jack has still not selected his best man. He decides to journey to Happydale Heights to ask his old friend, but after such a long separation, will the two still get along?
1. Overdue Reunion

**AN:** I'm back! Hey everyone, I know I've been on a NBC hiatus but I've returned with a new story. Also my first crossover story. Yay!

To be honest, I thought I'd have other stuff written by now, but this story had just been nagging me. And Inktober didn't help with that as I had a scene drawn up for this story (artwork soon to be featured on deviantART). So without further delay, hope you all enjoy this and please feel free to leave a review.

 **Disclaimer:** As always, I don't own _Nightmare Before Christmas_ or _The Addams Family_. Those belong to their respected owners. Cover art is "Un-guard" by Wickabee.

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 **Jack's Best Man**

It was pitch black. All around, everywhere you look there was nothing but darkness. The only sound were the heels of her shoes clacking against the stone. She did not know where she was going. All she could do was trust the strong boney grip leading her through the darkness.

Finally, her nerve wore out. "Jack, how much further?" she asked. "And why did you put out the light? I can't see in the dark like you."

She felt a light squeeze on her hand.

"Not much further, I promise," he told her. "I'm sorry I can't light the way for you because these old tunnels contain Italian cypress. Beautiful trees but, sadly, highly flammable. Luckily, we're too far into the cavern from where one of the pools lie, so the giant squid won't bother us, and it'll be a straight shot to our destination."

At the mention of a giant squid Sally planted her heels into the ground. She waited until Jack stopped, knowing if he continued he would take off her wrist. "Jack, just where in the world are you taking us?"

Jack chuckled, drawing his fiancée closer to him. "Remember that letter I received last night?"

"Yes but what about it?" Still unable to see, she could only imagine the grin in his face as he spoke with excitement.

"It was from an old friend of mine," he explained, "one I've not seen for many years. We kept up correspondences, but visitation was limited between us. He was often traveling and I had my duties to Halloween Town. Things got so busy that our letters became fewer - until last night that is."

"So then we are to visit him?"

"Exactly! I cannot wait for you to meet him, Sally," Jack exclaimed, easing them back into their walk.

Before she could inquire further, Sally felt their path begin to incline. She struggled to keep her balance when she felt Jack still. There was a low groan of a lock turning before a soft light struck her eyes. She blinked to allow her sight to adjust. When her vision cleared, she saw they were standing in a mausoleum. It was covered in cobwebs. It was dark and dank. It was macabre. She found it utterly lovely.

"Come along, Sally." Jack led them from the mausoleum out into a vast graveyard. The sight took Sally's breath away. The land was vast. The graveyard was filled with a variety of tombstones, many covered in moss while others were worn by time. In the distance, she could see swamplands with eerie trees strewn with fungus, the air thick with an ominous fog.

"Oh Jack! This place… It's wonderful," she whispered aloud.

Jack beamed at her excitement. "Yes, though it's changed since I last saw it. Just wait until you see the house."

Sally almost didn't want to go. She gripped Jack's hand as he led her through the property, taking in all the sights. When they reached the house, Sally gasped. It was enormous! The Victorian gothic design gave the place a charm with an obvious haunted feel.

Jack led them around the front to the main door. He helped her up the steps before reaching out to ring the doorbell. The toll was a deep foreboding sound, so different from the shrill scream of the one back home. It was not a moment more when the large door creaked open. Sally had to crane her neck as she and Jack were greeted by the largest creature she had ever seen.

"Youuuu raaaannnng?" the creature asked, his voice deep and slow, as though moaning each word.

Suddenly Sally recognized the creature as he was the very one she'd seen in one of the photographs in Jack's bedroom. She looked to Jack and was startled. It was a rare sight seeing her fiancé having to look up to speak with someone.

"Ah Lurch, old boy, it's good to see you again," Jack said cheerily. "Would you be so kind to let Gomez know that Jack Skellington has come to call."

"Coooommmme innnnn." The towering giant moved aside, the door open as an invitation to the undead guests. Jack, still holding Sally's hand, lead them inside as they followed the monstrous butler. They walked until Lurch stopped them at the foot of a grand staircase.

"Onnnnne mmmmoooommmment." Lurch lumbered out of the room, presumably to fetch the master of the house.

Looking around at the grandeur of the household, Jack began to reminisce. It had been ages since he last set foot in this household. A treasure-trove of fond memories took place in this very hall alone. Though he could tell some things were new. Signs of Morticia's artist eye were clearly about, in addition to some new miscellaneous stains, no doubt the work of the elder Addams brother or maybe a result of one of Granny's brews.

Meanwhile, Sally was feeling a little out of place. Everything gave off such a horrid air of sophistication, yet here she stood in only her patchwork dress, simply plain and casual. Even Jack appeared more refined dressed in his pinstripe suit. She wasn't one to be insecure about her appearance but she

She turned and gave Jack's upper arm a hard swat. He was startled out of his reminiscing, both by the force and the very fact Sally had hit him.

"Oww! Sally, what was that for?" he asked, rubbing the bone.

"Why didn't you say anything!" she hissed. "You didn't tell me your friend was so… Well, just look at this place! I'm completely underdressed, and it's all your fault."

The smile could have split his skull. "Oh Loveling, is that all?" he teased, drawing his huffy ladylove into his arms. "To be fair, I only received word from Gomez last night after all, so there was hardly anytime to prepare. Besides…" He leaned closer and kissed the spot just under her ear. "You look ravishing in anything you wear."

Sally huffed and turned away from him. "You still should've said something."

"Darling, trust me, you look positively lovely," Jack purred lovingly, nuzzling against her neck for a moment before smiling at her again. "Would I lie to you?"

Sally sighed, knowing she couldn't stay mad when he used that tone, though before she could reply, she was interrupted by a wild shout.

"Have at you, scoundrel!"

Both spectators looked up in time for Jack to expertly catch a rapier flying towards him. He maneuvered Sally behind him as he went into a defensive position as another blade struck, sending a resonating clang through the air. His eye sockets narrowed and his stitched mouth curved in a knowing smirk.

"Dirty pool, old friend," he chuckled, readying his new weapon. "Attacking when a man is courting a lady, how shameful."

"I wasn't expecting you to bring a guest," the man replied. He stepped back in a way that challenged Jack. "But it's been ages since we last dueled."

"I should say so. But now, it's my turn!"

Jack lunged and soon the duel began. The metal clashed, creating tiny sparks as Jack pushed back his foe. It was a well dressed man, sporting a dashing suit near identical to Jack's except in a dark pinkish color while matched with a silvery black necktie. He was also clearly human which shocked Sally, for she'd never seen a human adult unafraid of Jack. In a blink of an eye, the two were engaged in a heated sword fight, parrying and thrusting almost like it were a choreographed dance.

The stranger laughed. "You've not lost your touch, old man," he said as he blocked Jack's attack. "All these years and still quick to the point, wouldn't you say?"

"One could say the same of you." Jack attacked again, this time barely missing his opponent's shoulder. "Not bad given it's been over a decade since our last duel."

Sally was amazed by the ease her fiancé exerted, never seeing Jack look so masterful with a blade before. She recalled the photo in his bedroom of him dueling with the man before her; so this was the friend they'd come to see. Sally had to admit, this was a whole new side to Jack. She had never seen such a fire in her lover's sockets. The way the two men moved about the room, both just barely landing hits as they sidestepped furniture or just leapt over them like acrobats.

"Do forgive, Gomez. He gets a little overzealous when it comes to fencing."

Sally turned to see who had entered the room. The woman was gorgeous. Her hair and dress both midnight black while her pale skin was inhumanly white. It made the red of her lips and smokey eyes stand out. She walked like a graceful phantom and Sally was surprised to find herself eye level with the woman. She stopped and smiled at Sally.

"Hello…" the rag doll greeted. "I'm Sally, Jack's fiancée. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure to meet you too, dear," the woman replied. "I'm Morticia Addams. I must say I'm delighted Jack found himself such a charming lady to settle down with. I was worried he'd be a bachelor forever."

Sally smiled, flattered by Morticia's compliment. "Thank you."

Morticia glanced over at the dueling men. "Why don't you join me for some tea? Gomez hasn't had a sparring partner in days, so this might take awhile."

"That sounds delightful." Sally followed Morticia to the kitchen. The rag doll was impressed by the size. It had to be bigger than her and Jack's combined with the Doctor's. She took a seat while Morticia prepare the tea.

"Any preferences, dear?"

"Oh umm whatever you have is fine," she replied.

"Hmm... I think Hemlock and Swamp Moss will do." Morticia grabbed the herbs from the pantry and started brewing. Sally was a little surprised that a human would partake in such a tea. Will would try to politely decline whenever offered tea, where Al would run in a panic. Yet it seemed Morticia and Gomez liked the more unusual brews.

When the kettle whistled, Morticia brought over a tray and set it on the table. There were two extra cups and saucers for when their men decided to join them. As Morticia poured Sally her cup, she looked up at her with an inquisitive smile. "Black sugar? Or perhaps some spoiled cream?"

"Yes to both," Sally answered and graciously took the carefully prepared cup from her host. "Thank you."

The two ladies soon settled into a lovely chat. Sally talked about herself before she met Jack and she learned a few things of Morticia's past. They then moved into conversations about meeting Jack and Gomez. Sally had been delighted to hear of the adventures Jack and the Addams couple had been on. It was always a delight to learn something new about her skeleton lover.

"Oh you should have seen them when we explored the underground burial chamber," Morticia went on with a dainty wave of her hand. "It was absolutely ghastly!"

"I can imagine." Sally had just set her cup down when a flaming arrow landed less than an inch from her hand. "Ohmy!"

Morticia calmly smiled but her brow quirked. Sally followed her gaze as a young boy entered the room. He was rather portly, wearing a snug striped shirt and black britches. He also carried a crossbow. Morticia easily plucked the arrow from the table and held it out to the boy.

"Pugsley, what have I said about shooting in the house?" she softly but firmly scolded, never once losing the easy smile on her lips. "Arrows are for the den."

"Sorry Mom," he said in a raspy voice. "I thought Wednesday was hiding in here." The boy then noticed that his mother wasn't alone. "Oh what? Did Wednesday get a new doll? No fair!"

"Pugsley, she's not a toy, this is our guest," Morticia corrected, gesturing to the future Pumpkin Queen.

Sally rose from her seat and crouched in front of the child. She held out a hand and smiled at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Pugsley. My name is Sally."

The boy's eyes brightened. "Wow! You're just like Lurch, only you've got way more stitches. Cool!"

"Oh imbecile of a brother of mine, has thou forgotten we are playing?"

Sally looked up to see a petite girl enter the room carrying a mace. She was pale with black hair like Morticia, only her hair fell in twin braids and she wore a pilgrim-styled dress. Her scowl turned surprised when she caught Sally looking at her.

"Oh! A thousand pardons, dear lady," the girl replied. "I do hope my beastly sibling has not bothered you."

"Not at all," Sally replied, charmed by the girl's eloquent speech. "I was just a little startled, but nothing burnt or singed."

"Too bad. My name is Wednesday Addams. It tis a pleasure to meet you." She did a little curtsy.

Sally thought she was precious. "The pleasure is mine, Wednesday. I'm Sally."

"Sally and her fiancé are here visiting from Halloween Town," Morticia spoke up over her teacup.

Instantly the children were on Sally. "You're from Halloween Town!?" Sally nodded before the two were upon her.

"What's it like there?"

"Hast thou lived in Halloween Town long?"

"Is everyone really dead?"

"Has thou a special skill to which to scare others?"

"How many zombies have you met? Wait, are you a zombie?"

"Of course she's not, oh ye of no brain," Wednesday scolded as she whacked her brother's head.

"Children." Morticia rose from her seat to aid the overwhelmed rag doll. "Now I know you're both excited but please, one question at a time."

"Oh it's alright, Morticia, I don't mind," Sally assured her. "I'm happy to answer any questions I can."

"Please Mother?" The children turned to Morticia with pleading eyes. She relented and everyone gathered around the table while Morticia grabbed snacks for the children.

Meanwhile, Sally was doing her best to answer their questions. She gave a brief summary of when she was first created to the present. She talked about the other creatures living there and what they did, and their roles in preparing for Halloween. The children seemed a little disappointed when Sally revealed the less, well, violent assumptions about the denizens. However, they were intrigued by the design and the fact monsters walked about freely without fear as those living in the human realm. Then came the questions about Sally herself.

"So are you a monster like Lurch or some kind of zombie?"

"No, Pugsley, I'm no zombie," Sally explained, holding out her arm to better show her stitching. "Dr. Finklestein created me from different bits of skin and cloth, meaning I'm more of a living doll."

"So you're full of organs and other bloody stuff?" he asked, eyes growing with excitement.

"Oh no, nothing like that," she said, "though I do have some organs: a heart, eyes, and a brain. But my structure is like any other doll. Oh, except instead of stuffing, I'm filled with leaves. See?"

Sally fiddled with the stitching on her wrist to reveal her leaves. The children were quite impressed.

"Truly poetic," Wednesday replied. "As though you're filled with the very essence of Autumn. A most fitting choice on the good Doctor's part."

The comment made Sally blush. She enjoyed sharing her knowledge of her home with the children. Then came the next question.

"Oh, hast thou encountered his majesty, the King of the Pumpkin Patch?" Wednesday inquired. "Mother and Father have told us tales of such a creature. Oh to meet the embodiment of fear and Halloween would be a true honor indeed!"

"No kidding! The guy is a legend!" Pugsley added.

At this both Sally and Morticia could not help but laugh. The children were confused and wanted to be let in on the joke when Morticia replied.

"Well children, it's funny that you mention him..." she tittered.

"What do you mean, Mom?" Pugsley asked.

Before she could reply, the kitchen doors burst open with Gomez and Jack still in a heated battle against the other. Sally blushed upon realizing both men had done away with their jackets. They battled on just as fiercely if not more so.

"You know stabbing me just makes a mess of my jacket, Gomez."

"Well, Jack, you can't blame me for forgetting. It's been far too long since I've dueled with you, old man!"

The children looked in in awe as they watched the battle escalate to atop the kitchen island.

" _Zeig ihm dass ich dir nicht erlaubt habe rostig zu werden, Mon Amour_ ," Morticia called out, cheering her husband.

Suddenly Gomez stopped, his eyes enlarged and his mouth turned into a familiar goofy grin. "Tish, that's French!"

He tossed his sword aside as he leapt off the island to her side. He took Morticia's left arm and began to trail kisses along the appendage. "Say some more!" he begged. " _Schatz_ , _Liebling_ , _Kuschelbär_!"

"Darling, that wasn't French," Morticia corrected. "Besides, we've guests to attend to."

With one final kiss to her hand Gomez stood up. "Of course, my dear," he replied sheepishly.

Meanwhile, Jack stepped down from the island and made his way over to Sally. She felt her heartbeat quicken as he approached. Without his jacket, she could see how disheveled his clothes became in the heat of battle. Even his bowtie was missing, the upper buttons of his shirt undone to expose his neck and collarbone. Sally felt herself flush as his eye sockets locked with hers and he gave her a devilish smile.

"WHOA!"

The twin cries brought Sally out of some rather heated fantasies, and back to the two children in front of her. She giggled as they craned their necks to get a better view of the idol they had been asking about moments ago. She watched their further shock as Jack took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles.

"Do forgive me for making you wait, my love," he purred against her skin. "Terrible of me to keep a lady waiting like that, but I couldn't pass up the chance to cross swords after so long."

"Nothing to forgive, Jack. I know it's been ages since you and Gomez had the chance." She was thoroughly enjoying the attention, and the slow smiles of the children. "Morticia and I had a lovely chat, and I was just about to tell the children about a certain favorite holiday leader of theirs when you walked in. As always you have impeccable timing."

It was then Jack took notice of the children staring at him. He smiled and knelt down to their level. "Why this can't be little Pugsley Addams, can it?" he asked with a chuckle. "The last time I saw you, you were no more than a tiny tot."

"Y-You know me?!" The boy was starstruck. "The Pumpkin King actually knows me!"

He then turned to Wednesday. "And darling Wednesday. You were but a swaddled babe, a darling lumpling in your father's arms at the time. And look at you now. All grown up and as lovely as your dear mother."

Wednesday blushed, her hands covering her face as both her and her brother took in the fact one of their heroes knew so much about them. Then the girl straightened and turned to Morticia. "Mother! You said Miss Sally was engaged but not to whom. Can it be that…"

Jack chuckled, his thumb brushing over the ring on Sally's hand. "That's right, sweet girl. I asked this frightful beauty to be my wife and she said yes."

"Jack, stop! You're embarrassing me," Sally said, though she smiled as her cheeks became a touch pink.

"Oh Tish, just look at them," Gomez commented. He tucked her arm in his, still gazing at his friend. "Woud you ever think we would see the day."

"We'd almost given up hope," Morticia confessed, "he'd never shown much interest, always putting business before pleasure."

Jack smirked. "Oh come now, Morticia, I wasn't that bad."

"Ha! Wrong sir." Gomez left his wife's side and walked up to Jack. He laid a hand on his back and recounting a most interesting tale. "Don't tell me you forgotten the _Día de los Muertos_ celebration outside San Angel. I remember the Sánchez twins were quite taken with you." He wagged a brow at that.

Suddenly Jack stiffened. "Uh huh, n-no need to bring up that." He cast a nervous eye socket towards Sally before adding, "Th-That was so long ago. Hardly worth mentioning."

"Oh really? I for one am quite curious about these twins," Sally said. She smiled impishly as Jack began to sweat. "Do tell me Gomez, was Jack as charming and debonair as I know him to be?"

"S-Sally!"

Gomez laughed. "Oh my dear lady, where do I start?"

"Gomez, don't you dare!"


	2. Favors and Blackmail

**AN:** Merry Christmas everyone! Hope the holidays treat you well and you had lots of fun. Part of this chapter was inspired by some fan art done by katillia. She's done some amazing art based on my other NBC stories, and when I saw this particular piece, I knew I had to include it.

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All day into mid-afternoon, there were stories shared about the past. Jack had been utterly mortified as Gomez recounted his past affairs. Sally had discovered, to her love's dismay, about several encounters with many ladies, to which she had learned some were arranged by Gomez and Morticia themselves. Eventually, she had convinced them to change topics, mostly due to the interruptions of Wednesday and Pugsley asking for more stories regarding Jack and Gomez.

As the clock chimed the hour, Lurch lumbered in to clean up the tray of tea.

"This has been a splendid day, wouldn't you say, old man?" Gomez asked, setting his cup on the tray.

Sally perked up. This wasn't the first time she'd heard Gomez refer to Jack that way, and it had her curious. Knowing he hated to be referred to as old, it was odd it didn't bother him now. She would have to ask him about it later. For know she watched Jack smile and comment, but she couldn't help noticing that there was a slight hesitance in his tone.

"It really has been far to long since we all got together," Morticia added. "We should do it more often. Especially now with your upcoming nuptials."

"Actually, that's a part of why I was so eager to get your letter," Jack responded. "I know we talked some during our match, Gomez, but perhaps we could discuss matters with the ladies?"

"Oh yes, of course." Gomez turned to address Morticia. "Jack suggested we all go out to dinner this evening. What do you say, _Cara mia_?"

"Oh that sounds wonderful!" Morticia exclaimed. "I'd love to chat with Sally some more about the wedding."

"Oh yes, wonderful! I am really glad you and the children will be attending," Sally added.

"Why we'd be delighted!" Gomez cheered. "I admit, I was surprised when Jack told me how soon the wedding would be, but Tish and I wouldn't miss this. Just too bad Itt will be out of town."

"Will be sure to take plenty of photos. And actually, there's one more thing," Jack continued, looking directly at Gomez. "But that can wait until tonight."

"Say Jack? You still remember our favorite bistro?"

Jack perked up. "Don't tell me that hole in the ground is still open?"

"Oh yes, though it has been redone," Morticia spoke up. "I assure you'll adore it, Sally."

"I can't wait!"

"Then it's decided. I'll call and make the reservation." Gomez quickly darted from the room.

"But Mother," Wednesday said, reminding everyone of the children's presence. "Have you and Father forgotten? Friend NJ is to be staying over for the evening."

"Yeah, Mom! We've been planning all week!" Pugsley added.

Morticia gasped. "Oh goodness, I'd forgotten. The Normanmyers were going out of town this week and we offered to babysit since they couldn't take NJ. I'm terribly sorry, Jack and Sally, but perhaps another night?"

"Oh dear, that might be hard," Sally stated. "Jack has meetings with the Mayor and I've got to get the dresses ready for the wedding."

"Would Fester or Granny Frump be able to look after the children?" Jack asked.

"Afraid not. Fester and Granny are out of town, a little bet of theirs," Morticia explained, "and Thing went with them to referee."

"I wondered why I hadn't seen him running amuck," Jack pondered aloud. "In any case, what about Lurch?"

Morticia shook her head. "Tonight is his anniversary, so he asked for it off to take his girlfriend out for the evening."

"Mom, couldn't Wednesday, NJ and I just go with you?" Pugsley asked.

"Sorry, dear, but the bistro isn't for children," Morticia said, patting her son's head.

"Aww man!"

"Now why don't you two run and tell your father to cancel."

Jack was lost in thought. He hated to have to cancel, especially as Gomez surely had the reservation by now. Still, he didn't want to impose. If only there were another solution. Then an idea hit him!

"Tish, don't cancel just yet!" he explained.

"Jack, what are you up to?" Sally asked. She couldn't help worrying at the look in her beloved's eye sockets.

"I just thought of the perfect solution, but I'll need to borrow your phone."

"Oh course, just in the parlor," Morticia pointed out. "Children, why don't you show him."

"Okay." Wednesday and Pugsley each took one of Jack's hands and lead him to the parlor. They came upon Gomez as he was hanging up the phone.

"Great news, old man," he said, "I was able to get us one of their best tables for eight sharp."

"That's great but there's just one snag," Jack replied.

"Oh no, what's the trouble?"

"Nothing to worry about. I just need to make a quick call."

"Suit yourself." Gomez handed Jack the phone and the skeleton was quick to dial the number. As he did the children quickly informed Gomez to what had happened. He was slightly embarrassed to have forgotten about the children, and hoped whatever plan his specter friend had would work. He waited about two rings before he got an answer.

"Afternoon! No, no. Nothing like that," he said. "I assure everything for the wedding is fine, no changes. I'm calling to see if you might do me a favor. I know it's last minute, but would you be able to look after some children tonight?"

Jack winced before taking on a calming, albeit nervous tone. "No, no. I wasn't thinking of _those_ three," he replied. "They're children of one my closest friends. How old?" He looked to Wednesday and Pugsley before answering. "About eleven and ten, and one of their friends who's spending the night. Yes. Yes. Oh delightful, and it would be just the one evening. Oh thank you! I'll come by round seven and bring you to the house. Thank you again!"

Jack hung under the phone and turned with a bright smile. "There we have it. My friend says she'll watch the children tonight while we go to dinner."

"Fantastic!" Gomez set one hand on each of his children's shoulders. "I bet you and NJ will have a marvelous time."

"I guess so," Pugsley pouted.

Wednesday nodded in agreement. "Truly, it always is grand to see friend NJ, even if we are not permitted more of an audience with the Halloween King."

Jack felt bad. He didn't mean to not include the children, but he assumed they would be attending until Gomez mentioned where the dinner's destination would be. The disappointment was far too evident on the children's faces. If only there was something he could do. Suddenly, Jack got an idea!

He knelt down so he was somewhat more level with Wednesday and Pugsley. "Children, I apologize for this turn of events, but I believe that I have an idea, if you're interested?" he suggested. Seeing he had their attention he continued, "As there will be not a creature stirring with Sally and I gone, I know a certain pup of mine who will be quite lonely. Perhaps you might keep him company while I'm away?"

"You have a dog?!" the children shouted at once.

Gomez chortled. "Oh right! Zero's still around, eh? Gosh, haven't seen that pooch since Fang and Kitty Kat got into that scuffle with Zelda."

Jack chuckled. "As I recall, the vulture was none too pleased about having her scraps taken, while the two felines apparently were not finished with the carcass."

"Haha good times!"

"So, would that be alright if he attends the children's little slumber party then?" Jack asked. "As I recall, Zero and Cleopatra got along rather well, and I'm sure Zero would enjoy another thrilling chase with Snappy."

"It's okay with me." Gomez knelt down. "What do you say, children? Up for looking after Jack's pup for the evening?"

"Oh yeah! I bet he's fierce and really scary, right?" Pugsley asked. "Is he like rabid Doberman or something? Or maybe a Zombie Rottweiler? Werewolf bitten German Shepherd? Oh oh! I bet he's a skeleton just like you!"

Jack couldn't help chuckling at all the boy's assumptions. He was about to reply when Wednesday used a pair of nunchucks to hit her brother over the head with. Jack smiled at the familiarity to a certain trio back in Halloween Town. While Pugsley tried to clear the stars from his vision, Wednesday took the opportunity to speak up.

"Truly the King of Halloween must have a most fearsome pet indeed," Wednesday said, eyes sparkling with delight. "Pray tell, just what kind of dog is this Zero?"

"Actually, Zero is a ghost, though I believe he was a basset hound or something similar in his former life?" Jack shook his head from his pondering. "But you can learn more about him when I bring him tonight."

"Oh right, we should get ready," Gomez added. "Wednesday, Pugsley. Why don't you two set up for NJ while your mother and I get ready for dinner?"

"Okay!" The children set out, leaving the two men alone.

"Well, Sally and I should be off," Jack finally said. "We'll need to head back home to collect Zero, and I'll need to pick up my friend for tonight."

"Can't wait to meet her," Gomez replied. "Say, she's had all her shots, right? Measles, mumps, the works? And she has non-flammable clothing?"

"Not to worry, old friend. Will survived living in Halloween Town for little over two months. Not to mention she battled hoards of zombie skeletons, was tortured by Oogie Boogie, and survived after being caught in the middle of an implosion of Doctor Finklestein's own design. I doubt she'd have trouble watching the children for a single evening."

Gomez belted out a laugh and started to lead Jack back into the kitchen where their ladies were waiting. "Jack, now I _really_ cannot wait to meet this girl!"

 **XXX**

"Jack, you almost ready?" Sally called out. She was just about finished brushing her hair when she noticed the time. "You said you'd be there at seven and it's five till."

"I'm just about to head over. Will you be alright until we return?" Jack asked through the door.

"Not to worry." She set down the brush and looked over herself once more in the mirror. "Just remember the reservation is at eight, so you'll need to hurry."

From the opposite side of the door, a dapper skeleton leaned against the wall. He wished he'd been allow a sneak at his bride-to-be, but he was already running late as it was. "I'm heading out now. Be back with Will in a few minutes, Sally!"

Walking toward the hall closet, Jack opened the door and stepped inside. Will had said she'd leave the door open for him when he was ready to come by so all he had to do was walk on through. He suddenly found himself stepping out into the hallway of a small apartment. He looked around when the sound of music caught his attention. He followed the sound to a partially opened door. He peered inside, then quickly pressed himself to the wall with his hand slapped over his mouth.

It was a mixture of embarrassment and humor that conflicted the poor skeleton. The embarrassment was for peering into what he now knew was a young lady's bedroom and it was occupied. However, it was slowly beaten out by the humor coursing through Jack's bones. That sense of comical amusement was due to the fact he had stumbled upon his friend in a most hilarious predicament, and it was taking everything in the Holiday Leader not to laugh!

"What's up, boney butt?"

Jack turned to meet the concerned green eyes of Will's roommate, Al. He quickly composed himself and shushed the girl before him. Then, in a low voice, he whispered, "Al, do you have your phone?"

Brow quirked, the redhead replied, "Yeah…but why–"

"Put it on the recording session, quickly!"

Unsure what the skeleton was up to, Al grabbed her phone and got the camera ready. It was then she recognized a familiar tune. Crouching down Al looked into the bedroom and her thumb pressed the recording button, her eyes widening at the sight.

Will was dancing around her bedroom with Al's MP3 player she used for her morning runs. She was dancing rather provocatively around her room clad in only shorts and a tank top as her sock-clad feet stepped in time to the tune. The words were scandalous and yet Will, the usually more strait-laced of the girls, was singing along.

"Well…" Jack darkly chuckled. "This certainly makes up for a few occasions."

"Jack, shut up! She'll hear us!" Al bit back a laugh as she tried to shush him. "But I sooo agree! Willy Bat has had this coming for a long time."

Will spun as she sang the last line of the song.

 _I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)  
_ _But you keep fronting (Uh)  
_ _Saying what you going to do to me (Uh huh)  
_ _But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)_

She struck a pose. That's when the sound of slow clapping caused the blonde to freeze. Still posed, she slowly - almost robotically - turned to find her door wide open. Jack Skellington stood tall, a devilish grin on his face as he continued his mock applause. Meanwhile, Al grinned viciously as she recorded everything on her phone.

"Quite the performance, Willa," Jack praised, his tone poised but underlying a tint of adoptive sarcasm. "I must say this is a whole other side of you."

"I knew you were a closet pervert," Al commented. She stopped recording and quickly saved the video to her phone. "Wait till Zack learns about this!"

Will's face turned bright red and she turned wild eyes on her friend. "Alice Tanner don't you DARE show that to anyone, least of all your boyfriend!"

"Yeah, you're right…" Al flashed her a grin. "I should show Dean instead."

The girl's blue eyes glowed and her fangs elongated. "Delete it. NOW!"

"HA! Fat chance. This is going in the blackmail folder," Al proclaimed. "And don't even think about trying anything, or I post this to my YouTube account."

Jack wasn't too sure what Al meant but by the sound of it, it was not something Will wished to happen. As much as he wanted to savor this moment of well deserved comeuppance, they really did have to get going.

"All humor aside, Will, we really must be going. Are you–" He quickly noted her attire. "–almost ready to leave?"

Pouting, Will turned back to rummage through her closet. "Just gimme a sec to grab things and I'll be ready," she grumbled.

"Hey, where you whisking my Will off to this time and why wasn't I invited?" Al asked, stashing her phone in her pocket.

"I offered to babysit for Jack's friend," Will answered, pulling a long-sleeved shirt over her head. "Figured you'd rather sneak Zack into the apartment than watch a couple of little monsters. No offense."

"None taken," Jack replied. "And actually we won't be in Halloween Town. My friend lives in the mortal realm, in a small town called Happydale Heights."

"Happydale Heights? Who came up with that name?" Al asked. "Never heard of it but sounds like a mental institution to me."

Will paused in the middle of slipping on her shoes to give Jack a shocked look. "Happydale Heights? _The_ Happydale Heights?"

"Oh, you've been?" Jack asked incredulously. "Nice little town, though I've only seen it at night on a Halloween excursion. Folks there aren't too keen on a skeleton walking about in broad daylight."

"Holy rabies!" Will shot over to Jack so fast he nearly tumbled into the door. "Jack, I'm about to ask you a _very_ important question. Is this friend of yours named Addams?"

Jack's eye sockets were full of concern, and he couldn't keep the hesitancy from his voice. "Y-Yes, Gomez Addams is an old friend," he replied. "How did you guess?"

Suddenly both girls were squealing and jumping about in excitement. Jack had to take a step out of the room. The girls were quick to follow. Their eyes were shinning and the smiles they each bore looked like they'd split their heads apart.

"You're friends with Gomez Addams!"

"How'd we not know about this?"

"How long have you known the Addams Family?"

"Wait, you mean the kids I'm babysitting are Wednesday and Pugsley? Awesome!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Jack held up his hands. "First of all, how do you two know about the Addams? I never said their names when I called you, Will."

There was a flash of panic in the girls' eyes before Will replied. "Oh, yeah, well they are one of the richest known families. Who hasn't heard about them?"

Jack quirked a skeletal brow. "Go on."

"Uh, well, and since Al and I are into the more, eh, strange and unusual social media," Will explained, hoping the hesitancy wasn't as obvious as it sounded. "They've been in the newspapers serval times. Titles like, uh… _Bizarre Family Controls a Virtual Gold Mine of Wealth_. _Addams Fortune Remains Intact_. There was that one on Fester called _One of America's 20 Richest Men…and one of the strangest_. That sort of thing."

Jack relaxed a little more with her explanation. While he didn't often read human news articles, the titles were somewhat convincing. It wasn't until Al brought them up using her phone that Jack finally believed them.

"So yeah, you'd be surprised how many people have heard of them," Will said as Al put her phone away. "Anywho we should get going, right? You said dinner was at eight and I bet finding parking will be horrible."

"Yes well…"

"Hold it! No way you're leaving me behind," Al said, running toward her room. "Just gimme a sec to grab my shoes."

"Al, don't you have a date tonight?" Will reminded her. "Plus I thought you hated babysitting?"

"Zack will understand and this isn't just any babysitting," she shouted. Al ran out as quickly as she entered.

"Okay, but we have to leave now." Will finished dressing before approaching the hall closet. She took out her key before turning to Jack.

"Hey, why didn't you just tell me the Addams' address?" she asked. "I could've just used my key and met you there instead of you coming to get me?"

"Oh I didn't think of that," Jack replied. "I know Sandy Claws said that your key can take you anywhere you wish, but I assumed you wouldn't know the address, and decided it would be easier to take you myself."

"Fair point."

"Enough chatting, let's move it already!" Al said and pushed her way through the door.

With a laugh, Will and Jack followed behind with Jack closing the door behind them. He couldn't help but think that this would be an interesting night indeed.


	3. Adventures in Babysitting

**AN:** Hey everyone, sorry for the delay in chapter posting. My computer was in the shop (again) so I couldn't post anything. It still needs work, but I finally mangled to get this done. I hope you enjoy the next installment of the story. It's a little shorter, but I promise to try and have more for the next chapter. As always, please feel free to leave a review, as they make my me smile knowing you guys are enjoying what I'm writing.

* * *

When they arrived, the girls were immediately greeted by Zero. The phantom pup yipped and licked them relentlessly until Jack called him off. While wiping off ghostly drool with the back of her hand, Al asked, "Where's Rags at?"

"She was getting ready before I left," Jack replied. He then walked over to Sally's bedroom door and knocked. "Darling, we're back. Are you ready to go?"

"Just a minute." The handle turned and Sally stepped out. "Will, Al. So good to see you."

"Hey Sally," Will greeted with a hug. "Wow! I love the wrap. Looks greats!"

"Thank you," Sally said. "And thank you again for doing this for us."

"Yeah sure, now how we getting there?" Al asked excitedly.

"Just a quick trip through the cemetery," Jack explains. "We should leave now if we're to make it on time."

"Uh Jack, why don't you use this?" Will held out her key.

Jack thanked her and took the key, focusing on the Addams Manor before he placed it in the hallway door. With a quick turn, he held it opened for the girls to walk through first, and stole a kiss from Sally before he and Zero followed after. However, when they stepped through, Jack was surprised to see that instead of the parlor like he had hope, they were all standing in a grand gothic style ballroom.

The girls were eagerly enthralled by the room while Jack nostalgically remembered all the balls he attended here. He had such fond memories of mingling with the Addams clan. As he gazed about the place, his eye sockets fell on his beloved Sally. He began to imagine them dancing in this room, holding her close as he twirled her about.

Jack was brought out of his fantasizing by the eager barks of his dog. He turned to see the ghost flying over as Gomez and Morticia entered the ballroom.

"Jack!" Gomez shouted in delight. "When did you get here? Didn't think you'd sneak past ol' Lurch."

"Terribly sorry, I intended to use the front door." He then turned and introduced the girls. "I would like you to meet Willa and Alice. Will, Al. Allow me to introduce Gomez and Morticia Addams."

The girls squealed as the each took turns shaking the couple's hands. "You have no idea how excited I am to meet you," Will stated. "Ally and I are such big fans!"

"Well! Delighted to meet you, young lady," Gomez replied. "Jack has told me much about you. You're quite the hero, huh?"

"Oh, I don't know about that, but I do what I can."

"Glad to hear it, and what about this little lady?" Gomez warmed, indicating to Al as he shook her hand. "Alice, was is? Delighted to meet you."

Instead of a reply, the girl just smiled while making inaudible squeaks. Will laughed and translated. "She's super excited to meet you too. She just can't believe this is actually happening."

"Oh Gomez, darling, just look at her hair," Morticia stated. She came up beside Al, her crimson nails delicately fiddled with a strand of hair peaking out from Al's bun. "Such a vibrant red. You must have powerful ancestry in your roots - not to mention I'd bet you'd make a most powerful spell caster."

Al could only blink owlishly, her cheeks a faint blush of pink at the compliment, which made Will and Jack laugh at the reaction. Meanwhile, Sally was a tad curious as Morticia had made a similar comment about her own hair, though hers was not as bright a shade.

Noticing her puzzled look, Jack asked, "Something troubling you, Sally?"

"I'm just curious about how having red colored hair makes someone so unique," she stated with a light shrug.

"Oh, I could talk all night about that subject," Morticia happily replied, "but why don't we discuss it at dinner, and get the girls settled with the children?"

"Oh yeah, where are they anyway?" Will asked.

 _KABOOM!_

"Never mind…"

"What was that?!" Sally exclaimed in shock, having clung to Jack when the explosion sounded.

"Must've been Pugsley," Gomez said. "He loves experimenting in Fester's lab. We'll take you up there. It'll give us a chance to give the girls a quick tour before we head out."

" _Vundabar_ daring," Morticia said.

At that moment, Gomez paused before excitedly taking his wife's arm. "Tish! You spoke German!" He pressed her lips fervently along the appendage, pleading between kisses. "Say some more! _Schatz_ , _süßling_ , anything!"

"Darling! Tour now, German later," she promised, drawing back her hand.

While Gomez composed himself, Al leaned over to Will and whispered, "Think she can teach me how to get Zack to do that?" Will giggled and nudged her playfully.

As they continued on, Gomez began to give a summarized history of the rooms and the many mementos within them. Both Will and Al were enthralled by the stories, and Sally was finding herself drawn in as well. Jack would often add in some of the crazy antics he and Gomez would get into from the past, the stories only growing more amusing as the three seem to take turns recounting them until finally reaching the laboratory.

When they opened they door, sure enough, Pugsley was inside with another child, a boy with reddish brown hair. The two boys had on goggles and dirtied lab coats. Pugsley was mixing up a variety of odd looking chemicals while the other boy handed him the supplies. He was the one to spot everyone at the door.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Addams," he greeted. Then his eyes bugged out and he lifted up his googles. "Whoa! Who're they? More Addams cousins I haven't met yet?" he asked, pointing to the guests.

"NJ, I'd like you to meet my old friend Jack Skellington, his fiancée Sally," Gomez introduced, "and these two lovely ladies are Will and Al. They've agreed to look after you children tonight."

"Hi!" the older girls said.

"Oh neat!" Pugsley replied, looking up as he poured a glowing purple substance into the mix. "New test subjects."

Al started to snicker. When Will asked her what was so funny, she explained that she couldn't believe Pugsley had blonde hair. Overhearing their conversation, Morticia explained, "He gets it from my side of the family. Takes after my dear sister, Ophelia."

"Sister?"

Will leaned over and whispered, "I'll catch you up to speed later."

"Pugsley, where is your sister?" Morticia asked, turning back toward her son.

Pugsley only snickered fiendishly. Before he could reply, a table lowered from the ceiling. Lying strapped down on the metal slab, Wednesday looked up and smiled. Her hair was frizzed, and she looked as if she had been covered in ash. "Hello, Mother."

"Pugsley, Wednesday. I thought we said no electrocution experiments without Uncle Fester's permission?" Morticia scolded. "Remember the last time? You forgot to turn off the power when you were done playing, and he wasn't able to use the equipment for a week."

"Aww, Mom! But I was gonna go next!"

"I said no. Now, unstrap your sister and come meet everyone."

The children quickly tidied up, shutting off the power before coming over. "Hello," all greeted at once. Proper introductions were made before a chiming clock reminded everyone of the time.

"Oh goodness, we better get going."

"Oh, just a moment!" Will looked to Gomez and Morticia before continuing, "Is there anything we need to know before you go? Like do the kids have any allergies, specific house rules, or a specific time to be in bed? Anything that Al or I should know to get done before you return."

"Glad you asked," Morticia stated. "We don't have too many restrictions but there's a few things. As we've said, we'd prefer the kids not play in the laboratory without their uncle. We'd also appreciate it if you could get the kids to bed by ten o'clock, eleven at the latest. No allergies so help yourself to whatever's in the kitchen. And lastly, make sure all the pets get fed."

"What kind of pets?" Al asked.

"Oh, don't worry, Pugsley and Wednesday will feed their own, but if you could attend to Cleopatra, Snappy, and the lions, that'd be great!" Gomez stated.

"Lions? Did he say lions?!" Al turned to Will. "The frick he mean _lions_?"

"Yes, the children can show you how to get into the den," Morticia continued cheerily. "And of course they can help you prepare all the meals too. Though the cats might be more interested with the both of you than their fresh wildebeest, considering you're new faces."

"Nope, no than–"

"Okay, it all sounds good!" Will quickly slapped a hand over Al's mouth and put a big smile on her face. "You all enjoy your evening and we'll make sure the house is still standing when you get back."

Morticia and Gomez smiled and then turned to Wednesday and Pugsley . "Alright children, be good and listen to the babysitters."

"And Wednesday, be a dear, and remember to tighten your brother's chain before going to sleep," Morticia added.

"We will!"

With their goodbyes said, the adults left, leaving the children alone with the babysitters.

Will jumped back, wiping her hand on Al's shoulder. "Gross! Did you have to lick me?"

"You never said nothing about no lions!"

"I thought it was implied," Will said. "Now can we focus? We've got others here to attend to."

"Oh all right, but you owe me big time, and I'm sure as Snape out if I get mauled!" Al then put on a pleasant smile and address the children. "So… What you chibs want to do?"

"Pardon, Miss, but what pray tell do you and your friend have in store for us this evening?" Wednesday asked.

"Uh…"

Will took initiative. "Well, anything you three are up for. Within reason!" she quickly added. "What kinds of games do you like to play?"

"Ooo! How about snakes and ladders?" Pugsley suggested. "Or we could play slime ball? Uncle Fester just added some mucus to his collection last week."

"Perhaps we might enjoy a friendly game of darts?" Wednesday added. "Tis been so long since we had new targets for our poison darts."

Both girls smiled but cringed at the suggestions. The games were more intense than either of them were expecting. Luckily, NJ had a solution. "What about hide-and-seek? There's plenty of fun places around the Addams' house to hide!"

"Great idea, friend NJ!" Wednesday replied. "Marie and I do so adore a good game of hiding and seeking."

"Yeah and don't forget the best part, playing our favorite way, hide-and-go-shriek," Pugsley said, practically jumping with excitement.

"Oh, I've played that version," Will said.

"You have?" Al asked.

"We both have, remember? It was at the Halloween party with Ethan, Sherwood, and Susan."

"Recalling, recalling… Oh yeah! Little buggars chased me into a bramble bush and I ripped my pants."

"That one was on you, not the kids," Will teased. She earned a scowl from her friend before turning her focus back to the children. "Alright. Hide-and-go-shriek it is!"

"Excellent, but, what do you say we make it more interesting?" he suggested.

"What're you thinking? Cause I have my limits," Al warned.

"It's simple. We break into teams. Me, Wednesday and NJ versus the two of you."

"Oh, we'll smoke you!"

"Wait, what are the penalties?" Will quickly asked, knowing from experience how gambling got her friend into trouble.

"How about…" Pugsley thought for a moment. "Oh! Since we can't use Uncle Fester's lab, we can use the kitchen. If you girls can't find all three of us then you have to eat whatever we make."

"Excellent idea, sibling of mine," Wednesday cheered. "Perhaps they might enjoy one of Granny's recipes."

"Umm, isn't that a bit much?" NJ asked. "No offense, guys, but I've seen what Granny puts in your lunches, and even I won't trade with you."

However, Will was unafraid. She recalled having to endure eating some of Halloween Town's special recipes when her Christmas food stock ran out. Most turned her stomach, but luckily she'd built up a small tolerance. Not to mention her hidden advantage should the children choose to create an insect-themed dish. Not that she planned on losing, of course, but it was best to be prepared.

"Is that all? HA! I've done worse playing truth or dare," Will stated. Al, however, was not as certain.

"Hey, don't count me in, I ain't eating nothing nasty."

"Betcha she's just too scared," Pugsley whispered to the others, albeit rather loudly. "Besides, it'd take them weeks to find us. I bet she wouldn't even last an hour."

"What was that, little boy?" Al growled out.

Will saw Al's temper flare at the challenge. She knew her friend did not like being tested, and to do so clearly ticked her off. Knowing what would come next, Will groaned. "Oh no…"

"That tears it, shorty!" She stomped over until she was towering over the pudgy boy. "Bring it on, I refuse to lose! Just know that _when_ we win, I'm serving up something so sweet and sugary, even Sweet-Tooth Willy here couldn't stomach it"

"So, we got a bet?" Pugsely held out his hand, accompanied by cocky grin. "We hide anywhere in the house and you have one hour to find us."

Al took it with a firm grasp, meeting that grin with her own devilishly confident smirk. "One hour, forty-five minutes tops. No helping each other, and no handicaps. Got it?"

"Deal!" With that, the children ran off to hide, while Al covered her eyes and started counting.

Will just shook her head. This was going to be a very long hour. _I wonder when she'll realize this house is full of the hardest, if not deadliest booby trapped routes known to man?_


	4. Dinner High Jinks

**AN:** Once again, I apologize for the awaited update. School is killer this quarter so not much time to write. But luckily, got a little downtime and able to flush out another segment for you. Hope you're all prepared for some laughs.

* * *

The ride to the bistro was rather lively, what with the men volunteering to take the front while the ladies comfortably conversed in back. They chatted on about anything and everything, though Sally was rather curious to know more about where they were going. They were in the human realm, and despite Gomez's reassurance, she was still nervous. The most interaction she had with humans was with Will and Al. Would it really be alright for her and Jack to have dinner in a human restaurant?

Before she had a chance to ponder the thought some more, the car came to a stop. "We're here!" Gomez announced.

Sally was about to get out when her door suddenly opened. Jack stood there, one hand behind his back while the other was held out to her. His smile was charming as ever as he gave a slight bow at the waist. "Shall we, milady?"

Sally giggled, seeing in her peripheral that Gomez was doing the same for Morticia. She placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her out. So Sally in turn did the same for Jack. Once he had helped her out, Sally moved to the side so he could close the door. "Thank you, my gallant gentleman."

"Anything for my dearest lady," he purred, lifting her hand to his lips.

Sally giggled again, letting him tuck her hand into the crook of his arm. They then awaited for Gomez and Morticia to join them before heading inside. All the while Sally felt her leaves fluttering from nerves.

As soon as they entered, Sally was taken aback. The place was like it had been carved out in an underground cavern. Candles were the only source of lighting. Thousands of them were lite about the room, in simple candlesticks on every table. The black and white colors complimented well and stood out against the deep red of the tablecloths. There were candles even adoring the black chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. It was breathtaking!

But what surprised Sally the most were the people. Every single one was human, but their "air" reminded her of Morticia and Gomez. Aloof yet attractive, they seemed fairly normal, yet no one showed sign of being perturbed by the appearance of a seven foot skeleton and an equally tall rag doll. As she looked about more, she sensed a rather macabre aura fill up the place. It was actually horribly charming.

"You were right, Gomez, the place is different," Jack said with an appraising look around. "It looks fantastic!"

"I told you. Now, let's get our table," he replied as they walked over to the maître d'.

"Good evening," the grim looking man greeted. "Do you have a reservation?"

"Addams party of four, eight o'clock," Gomez replied.

The man scanned the list and smiled. "Ah! Monsieur Addams," he said, "its delightful to see you once again. We're have your usual table ready for you."

"Excellent!"

Another man quickly approached them after a pair of claps from the maître d'. From the way he was dressed, Sally assumed he was another member of the staff. "May I take your coats?" he politely inquired, addressing the ladies with a slight bow.

"Oh, yes, thank you." Sally undid her wrap and handed it to the waiter just as Morticia handed off her silken shawl.

Jack nearly burst into flame!

Sally wore a figure hugging dress that he could not keep his sockets off of. It was similar to the one she wore the night he'd asked for her hand, but clung to her shapely hips and legs instead of flaring out at the bottom. The dress was also strapless with a sweetheart neckline, and hugged every one of her voluptuous curves. When she turned to speak to Morticia, Jack spotted there was a sort of cape attached to the lower back. The sheer fabric was black with a shimmer to it, making it like the night sky on a starry night. It matched the shimmery opera-style gloves that she debuted this evening.

However, the best part was the color of the dress itself. The fabric was made up of broad black and white stripes that almost matched his suit perfectly. As he watched her continue to chat with Morticia, he took in her enchanting profile. She wore little jewelry, wearing only black opal earrings to match the chocker on her neck. The ornamental band stood out against her pale skin and the silken stitching on her neck, which given the low neckline, made it look even more slender. Jack wanted nothing more than to trail kisses over every stitch.

"Jack? Jack!"

Jack shook his head. When he looked again, the waiter had already begun escorting the ladies to their table. He turned to his left to find Gomez patting his shoulder. "Jeez, old man, lost you for a moment," his friend teased then gave the skeleton a wink. "But I sympathize with you. I can't keep myself from my lovely wife."

Jack chuckled as they followed after the ladies. When the table was insight, both Gomez and Jack moved quickly. Neither could allow the waiter of having the pleasure of pulling out the ladies' chair. The women sat, followed by their men, and the waiter asked if they'd like a drink to start. Jack recalled an excellent wine the last time he visited, but for the afterlife of him he could not remember the name. Fortunately, Gomez appeared to have the same idea for he ordered the very wine.

When the man left, the group fell into a silence as they perused the menu. Having not been in ages, Jack was eager to see if any of his favorite dishes were still available. Meanwhile, Sally was in utter confusion. There were dishes she had never even heard of, let alone knew what she could eat. She took a quick glance and noticed everyone else seemed to have an idea of what to order. It was then her eyes met with Jack.

"Something troubling you, Love?" he asked.

Feeling warmth on her cheeks, Sally lowered her gaze. "Oh, n-nothing," she replied quietly. "I was just, um, I still can't decide, that's all. There's just…so many things to choose from."

Jack caught onto the tone in her voice. He gently took hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Sally, if you like, I could make one or two suggestions?"

"Oh, umm…"

"If I could add my two cents as well," Gomez added, jumping in on the conversation. "The braised beef lungs, rosemary lambs brains, or stewed viper are all divine choices."

"Really? Humans eat those sorts of things?" Sally replied.

"Oh sure! There's tons." He held up the menu and began pointing to some of the selections. "For one, the pickled shark liver is perfect, but not everyone enjoys its pungency. And of course, the fugu fish is to die for, especially since the chef here prepares it laced with a remaining trace of its own venom."

"Really!" Jack said ecstatically. "It was always much better with the venom. The tingly sensation before a sensory brush with death. Best way to eat it!"

"Goodness!" Sally gasped.

"Oh yes, they really do have the best of exotic cooking," Morticia said with a smile. "It's one of the charms of this place. Though too bad they stopped insect cuisine."

"I had no idea. Usually whenever I offered dishes like that to Will and Al, they would politely decline, but I could see the thought of eating anything dead or rotten or having an insect as a part of the dish turned their stomachs. I assumed it was the same for all humans."

"Well, to be fair, Sally," Jack interrupted, "Will has gotten more open to the idea of bug dishes. She raved over your tarantula skewers at our last luncheon."

"Ah, so a budding insectivore, huh?" Morticia smiled. "Really, so many wonderful dishes, yet not enough people willing to try them."

"I suppose so." Sally took another glance at her menu. She still felt a little apprehensive about some of the food choices. After all, she still wasn't entirely sure what she could eat. Though she felt a little more encouraged by her friends.

Watching over her shoulder, Jack leaned in a little closer when he noticed Sally looking at the pasta dishes. She caught him, pointed to one with curious but unsure eyes, and he smiled.

Suddenly the waiter returned with their wine. When their glasses were poured, he asked if they were ready to order. They replied yes and each gave them their order. When it was just four of them again, Gomez raised his glass.

"I propose a toast!", he said, prompting everyone else to lift up theirs. "To the happy couple. May you both have a long and happy afterlife together."

"Well spoken, darling," Morticia praised.

Jack and Sally smiled, and then they all clinked their glasses. "You haven't lost you touch for speeches," Jack said.

"Well you know me," Gomez replied. "Can't miss a chance to wish the same joy to others like we have. Isn't that right, _Querida_?" He purred sweetly to his wife, running his thumb over her pale knuckles.

The conversation took a quick turn to Jack teasing Gomez, inevitably leading the two men into a mock debate over who was more debonair. Meanwhile Sally and Morticia watched, each sipping their wine, and adding their own conversation about how men were charming but unnecessarily competitive.

"Honestly, I've never seen Jack like this," Sally tittered quietly. "He's not usually so...competitive."

"Gomez loves a challenge. I find it's why they get along so well," Morticia countered, a proud smiled as she turned her eyes to her husband. "You should see him with his brother. Sometimes I think Wednesday and Pugsley act just like Gomez and Fester when they were that age."

"I'm sure. Hmm… Speaking of the children, I wonder how they're getting along with Will and Al?"

 **XXX**

 _Addams' Manor…_

Will faced the main hall, out of breath. She had spent the last twenty minutes searching all over the house and still had not found Wednesday, Pugsley, or NJ. The game was taking longer than expected, even with Al and her splitting up to cover more ground. Sometime during the search she'd lost sight of Zero. Hopefully she would find the mischievous phantom hiding with one of the children. Which she had better do soon. Not only because it was getting close to dinnertime, but Al would be none too happy if they were given the penalty.

Will was trying to decide which room to check next when she heard a familiar shriek. Following the sound, Will stumbled into the greenhouse, and what she saw was Al being swallowed up by what looked like some kind of enlarged, mutated Venus flytrap.

"Nononono!" She practically flew as she rushed over and grabbed the mouth of the plant, using all her strength to pry open the its jaws.

"That's. Not. Food!" she grunted, struggling to free her friend. Will finally got the massive mouth open enough to pull out her friend's torso. The plant made a _ssvppptt_ sound, spitting Al out, and both girls tumbled to the ground.

"Argh. You okay, Ally?" Will moaned. She turned and noticed her friend was coated in a sickeningly yellow-green slime.

"Iamgoingtokillaplant." Al's voice was muffled from the slime and slowly sat up. Her hair had been pulled from its bun, now sticking out at odd angles about her face. Reaching up her hand, Al cleared the slime from her eyes and lips. She didn't look at Will but straight at the plant with a murderous glare.

"Imma kill a plant!"

"What happened?"

Al wiped more of the slime from her face. "Looking for the smug brats and this thing attacked me!"

"That must be Cleopatra, Morticia's pet. Guess she's hungry." Will quickly had to grab Al as she was about to take a pair of gardening shears to the plant's stem. "No, we are not going end scene of _Little Shop of Horrors_!"

"Death to plant!"

"Alice Tanner, you are not killing Morticia's pet! Drop the shears!"

" _I DO WHAT A WANT!_ "

Will growled and shifted so she was looking directly into Al's eyes. Her own eyes were glowing an unearthly blue as she spoke in an even-tempered tone. "Al. Calm down and listen to me. You will put down the shears. You will step back. And you will leave the plant. Alone."

Al frowned. She stepped out of Will's grasp and glared at her, clutching the shears to her chest. "Don't get all psychic with me, Miss. You know hypnosis don't work on me."

"I know." Will smirked. "I just wanted you to chill out." She held out her hand for the shears and, reluctantly, Al relinquished them. Her green eyes were still glaring with murderous intent but she backed away.

"Better. Now, let's get back to finding the kids," Will stated. "We've got fifteen minutes to meet the deadline, and we still haven't found one of them. Thought we'd at least find NJ."

"I think they're cheating," Al grumbled. "I know they are– Wait a cotton-picked minute! How come you can't sniff them out?!" she accused Will.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're half bat, duh. Just use your bat powers to find them."

"That would be cheating. I ain't gonna be called out by kids for cheating at a game."

"Stoop to the level." She glared at Will, seeing her seriously considering the idea. Al further tempted her friend. "Come on, they're clearly doing it, so really it's only fair. They know all the secret hidey spots. We need an edge."

Will finally relented, though with a heavy sigh. She quickly transformed into a bat and fluttered overhead. "I'll search the attic and crawl spaces. You cover the ground floor."

"I've got this!" She was about to head back out when Will called out, "Leave the gardening tools!"

"Aww! Killjoy…" Al dropped her hidden weapons and hurried out of the room.

Will rolled her eyes and flew out of the room to search upstairs. As she climbed higher a thought suddenly hit her. "Hey! You never went up; you just wanted me to go so you didn't have to climb the stairs!" Will shouted out. Only a maniacal laugh answered her.

"I should've known…" Will sighed and continued upward. She only hoped being this small would allow her to avoid any of the hidden traps. But something in her doubted that.

Meanwhile, Al was searching every nook and cranny. She was determined to win this bet if it killed her. Which it almost did as her foot caught the corner of the rug, sending her into a face plant.

"Is this *bleep* house trying to *bleep* kill me!?" She growled out. "And why did I just get bleeped?"

She turned to unleash her fury on the offending rug when she noticed something. Upon closer inspection she found a hidden doorway. Something rumbled underneath.

"Ha! Busted!" She eagerly grabbed onto the latch, undid the lock, and peered inside. "Okay. You smug little chibs, I got you!"

A pair of glowing yellow eyes greeted her. When she looked closer, there was a low growl and a menacing gnashing sound.

"Oh, *beep*. Teeth!"

 **XXX**

 _Bistro…_

The evening was looking to be splendid, and Jack couldn't remember the last time he had enjoyed the cuisine of the human realm. He was particularly enjoying his fugu fish. He particularly enjoyed the subtle sting of its venom on his tongue and crunch of its bones with dark delight. Though he noted with a touch of humor that Gomez and Morticia appeared to prefer each other much more than their meals. He chuckled.

 _Gomez sure hasn't changed_ , he thought. _It was always nice doing things like this with them, especially with Fester and Thing too. And Gomez certainly never misses a chance to show how passionate he is for Tish._

Memories flooded back of all the times they spent together. Sure some weren't exactly his favorites, like the number of times they would try to set him up on dates despite his protests. There might may have been a nice ghoul or two that interested him, but it usually ended the same. The ghouls would swoon because of his title and looks, never really bothering to get to know him. Honestly, he had been rather jealous of Gomez back in those days. Sweet Samhain, he'd broken off an arranged marriage—an Addams family tradition—to Ophelia because of his love for Morticia. Gomez Addams had found his other half. While he, Jack Skellington, could not.

That had secretly been a part of the reason he grew distant, which he still felt shame for even after having admitted it to himself years ago. As much as he adored Gomez and the rest of the Addams Clan, the man had his own life and was starting a new chapter of it, which did not necessarily include a lonely skeleton. It was when the children had come along that Jack knew his friend needed to be with his own family, and with his own growing fame and responsibilities, he didn't need that as a distraction. So with a heavy heart, Jack returned to Halloween Town to focus on his own path, though he kept up short correspondences from time to time.

Still, it was something else to be in the same room. So much time had passed and yet the two got along as if Jack never left all those years ago. He really had missed a lot since he and Gomez had parted ways.

 _I wonder…_ he began puzzling, pushing his fish around his plate. _Should I even ask? Everything seems fine now, but do I even have the right to?_

Casting a glance at Sally, Jack smiled seeing her enjoy her meal. He had to admit, even he was intrigued by the choice: spaghetti with fried calamari in a creamy white wine sauce. Better yet, whole baby squid were used in the dish instead of those odd rings of flesh.

She had taken another bite when she caught him staring. "Something wrong, Jack?"

He smiled at her cute reaction, and the candlelight only added to how lovely she looked tonight. "Nothing. How do you like your meal, Sally?"

"Oh, it's so tasty! We don't get much fish at home that's so fresh," Sally gushed, twirling her fork on her plate for another bite. "Plus, I heard Will mention this dish once, so when I spotted it on the entrée menu, I thought I'd try it."

"I don't think she had it quite like this," Jack pointed out, "but then again, I've never seen it prepared this way either. Even on one of my haunts to Italy."

"Oh, well then, here. Would you like to try a bite?" Sally held the fork up to his fiancé with a smile.

Jack was a little surprised. Normally they didn't share food unless they were back home, but he complied nonetheless. He was about to reach for the fork when he got an idea—a rather mischievous idea.

He put on a charming grin, leaned in closer, and took the bite right off her fork. Sally had, of course, been right. The flavor was incredible, and the crispiness of the panko breading with the tender, albeit chewy texture of the squid. The legs were particularly crunchy, but the overall flavor was only heightened by the spiciness of the red pepper flakes and garlic. Being rather daring, he slurped up the noodles, noting how she watched the linguine disappear into his mouth. It was then he noted some of the creamy sauce on his love's stained lips, which only made his wicked smile grow wider.

"You're right, it is rather tasty." Jack leaned in closer. His arm came around her back, his fingers brushing her hip. He quickly stole a kiss, discretely licking her lips, before he whispered into her ear, "Though, it's nothing compared to you, my delectable dolly."

"Jack!" Sally gasped. "What-What do you think you're doing?"

"You started it, Babydoll. What did you expect, offering me to sample from your plate," he purred, gently squeezing her hip. "Perhaps there's an even tastier morsel you'd like to offer me?"

Sally was flustered. Jack's use of that particular pet-name, the strategic touches, and his suggestively low voice. It was too much! "Jack, stop, we-we're in public."

"Can't help it. You're just too irresistible. In fact _…_ " He pulled her closer. " _Mi piacerebbe saltare la cena e andare dritto al dessert._ "

"Hey, that's Italian!"

Jack was suddenly pulled back by his free arm. He turned to find Gomez about to pepper kisses over his arm.

"Your wife is over _there_!" Jack scowled as he shoved his friend off. "Honestly, I thought you'd gotten over that little quirk."

"Whoops, sorry old man," Gomez apologized sheepishly.

"Well next time–"

"Oh!" Jack turned. When he'd been pulled back, he pulled Sally with him, causing her to bump her plate which caused some of the sauce to spill onto her dress.

"Oh, Sally, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't worry about it, Jack," Sally said quickly. "I just need to get it cleaned up before it sets."

"Here dear, let's get you the ladies room," Morticia offered. She stood and gestured for Sally to follow. "Excuse us, won't you?"

Both men stood and watched the ladies excuse themselves to the restroom before sitting back at the table.

"Well… Bit of a set back, eh Jack?" Gomez casually teased before roaring with laughter at the subtle glare the embarrassed monarch threw him. "Oh come on, can you blame me? It's the first time I've ever seen you like that. I was starting to think you didn't have a passion for anything other than Halloween."

"I didn't either," Jack admitted, "but Sally… Oh, where do I begin?"

"' _Mi piacerebbe saltare la cena e andare dritto al dessert_ ' would be a start." Gomez chuckled.

Jack blanched. "Yes, well, umm… Th-That's a more r-recent development."

"Really! But, do my ears deceive me or did my friend, Master of Fright, just stutter?" Gomez laughed as his friend sunk to the table. "Sorry, old man, didn't quite catch that."

"The most infectious pestilence upon thee," he replied menacingly.

"Oh, don't be such a sourpuss." He patted Jack's shoulder affectionately. "You're a man in love, and no one will fault you for that. Besides," Gomez smirked wickedly, "you can't blame me for wanting a little revenge for all the grief you gave me when I was courting Tish."

Jack smirked back, lifting his head with a laugh. "As I recall, you two were rather too amorous about it. Still are."

"Love does that to you, Jack. I'm glad you can now share in the joy I have with Morticia. It's all I wanted for you. For anyone, but especially one of my closest friends."

Jack smiled. "It really has been too long."

"Oh now don't start with that," Gomez sighed, waving his hand in light dismissive gesture. "You had your position and duties keeping you busy, and myself with my family. It's water under the bridge."

"No, I mean it." Jack's tone became more serious as he continued, "I admit, I was worried you'd be upset with me. I was the one who left, and I barely wrote to you over the years. I felt that we'd lost touch and I didn't expect you to forgive me, but I wanted you to know I am still sorry I let that happen."

"Jack, my friend, you've nothing to worry over," Gomez said sincerely, all the usual playfulness of his gone as he leaned forward as much as the table would allow him. "The past is the past and what matters is the here and now."

"You don't know how glad I am to hear that," Jack replied. "Speaking of the here and now, there's something I've been meaning to ask."

"What's on your mind?"

"Gomez, I wanted to say…" Jack looked Gomez right in the eye. "Would you do me the honor, old friend, of being my best man?"

Gomez was dazed for a moment. Then his smile widened to show the gap in his teeth. "I'd be honored!" He got up and clapped Jack over the shoulder. "Oh, come here, you!"

"Whoa!" Jack was not expecting the sudden attack. He had been pulled to a standing position and was now being hugged—a little too tightly—by his friend. It was a little embarrassing, given the height difference, but the embrace wasn't unwelcome. In fact, Jack just burst out laughing, promoting Gomez to do the same.


	5. A Very Long Night

**AN:** Well, another long wait, but we finally come to a close. To make up for the wait, an extra long chapter. Hope you'll all enjoy!

* * *

While the two friends celebrated, the ladies were busy taking care of Sally's dress. She was currently at the sink behind a decorative dressing stand that been placed in bathroom, her dress lying on the counter.

"My, this is something," Morticia commented. "You can hardly see it."

"It would have been worse if you hadn't asked the waiter for club soda," Sally said as she blotted the stain. "Thank goodness I didn't order the marinara sauce."

"That was quick thinking grabbing the salt," Morticia commented. She handed the rag doll the bottle and took the soda-soaked napkins. She tossed them into the trash before pulling out her handbag. She wanted to touch up her makeup a little. As she did that, she watched Sally from the corner of her eye.

"So. Just how did that happen again?"

"Oh, it-it was nothing. Jack just pulled a-a little too hard, and I, umm, bumped my plate," Sally replied, although a little too quickly.

Morticia didn't miss a beat. "Oh really?"

Sally looked down sheepishly. "W-Well… Maybe I pushed my plate a tad too close to the table edge," she confessed. "I noticed Jack seemed hesitant to talk with Gomez, so I thought it best they speak alone. Jack just inadvertently help me find an excuse."

"I see. Very well thought out, Sally. Too bad your dress had to pay the price."

"Not to worry." She continued to work with the dress.

"So… How are things with Jack?" Morticia asked, touching up her mascara. "You two seemed to be enjoying yourselves."

"Oh, uh, things are-are wonderful." Sally couldn't keep the embarrassment out of her tone.

Morticia smirked and repeated, "' _Mi piacerebbe saltare la cena e andare dritto al dessert._ '"

Sally dropped her dress. Her whole face flushed with embarrassment. "O-O-Oh th-that, that was no-nothing," she brushed off, rather poorly. "I, uh, I don't even know what it means." She failed at faking a convincing laugh. "Jack has only taught me some French, so I've no idea what he was getting at."

"Oh? Well then..." Morticia set her makeup down and leaned over to whisper into Sally's ear. If she didn't know any better, she would've sworn the rag doll had gone into a full body blush.

"I can't believe he did that," Sally groaned in mortification, though there was a touch of laughter on her lips too. "I swear, I thought he'd learn after the last time."

"Oh, what was last time?"

Looking around to make sure they were alone, Sally quickly whispered to Morticia about the morning incident where Jack had throughly embarrassed both of them in front of their friends. Morticia just laughed, her crimson nailed fingers daintily over her mouth. It shocked her to think of prime-and-proper Jack Skellington as the tomcat Sally had just described. What an utterly horrible thing to do! It was comforting that at least Sally was laughing along with her. When she calmed down, Morticia returned to adjusting her makeup. She caught Sally watching her in the mirror.

She finished applying her lipstick before saying, "It just goes to show how much he adores you."

"I know. I guess…" Sally paused in thought. "I guess I'm just still not quite used to him being so…bold. It's a little overwhelming sometimes."

"Ah, the honeymoon phase. Gomez and I had a rather spontaneous one during our first year of marriage." She turned and smiled sweetly. "By the way, have you planned where you're going for yours?"

"Oh, not really. Jack said he wants to surprise me since I've never left Halloween Town."

"Sounds like him. I bet it'll be quite the honeymoon then. I remember mine fondly. Gomez swept me away to a glorious cruise. No worries or cares, or survivors." She sighed blissfully. "I can guarantee wherever you go, you're sure to remember it."

Sally smiled then went back to work on her dress again. Once she deemed it fit, she slipped it back on, and stepped out from behind the dressing curtain. She gave herself a quick once over in the mirror, feeling quite pleased after easily smoothing out a few wrinkles in the fabric.

"Hold on, dear," Morticia said as Sally started toward the exit.

"Is something wrong?"

Morticia smiled and held up her makeup bag. "Let's see if we can't give you a bit of a touch up."

Back at the table, the men were still celebrating. Gomez was spouting out ideas for the bachelor party he intended to throw, Jack only rolling his sockets at some of the ideas. Though he had to draw the line at one point.

"Absolutely not, Gomez!"

"Oh, what's the harm? We did it for Itt."

"First of all, when did Itt marry, and why am I just now learning about it?" Jack asked in disbelief. "Second, I'll not stand for such deplorable behavior."

"Oh, don't be so uptight. You weren't exactly complaining at my Stag Night, as I recall." Gomez then made a look to almost rival one of the Pumpkin King's skeletal grins. "If memory serves you were quite the charmer after–"

"Hey! You swore to take that to your grave!" Jack hissed.

"Swore to what?"

The two turned to see that Morticia and Sally had returned, the latter having voiced the question. Both men quickly resumed a more composed appearance as they welcomed their ladies back. Gomez was assuring them it was nothing more than a friendly spat over old memories. Meanwhile, Jack was back to the compromising position of gawking at his fiancée.

"My Sally, you sure look lovely," Gomez said, causing the rag doll to blush.

"Doesn't she? I couldn't resist when I saw her fumbling with her hairpin earlier." Morticia then turned to Jack. "Doesn't she look divine, Jack?"

"Mmm… Y-Yes. Very m-much." Jack was at a loss for words. Before her hair had been pinned back by a tasteful clip yet remained down. Now however, it had been done up into an elegant bun atop her head that drew attention to her neck and chocker.

Morticia and Gomez exchanged a knowing glance. It was about then that the band began to play. The tune was a steady yet easy waltz number, prompting some of the patrons to dance. Thinking fast, Gomez got to his feet and walked over to Sally. He held out his hand and asked, "May I have this dance, my dear?"

Shocked at first, Sally smiled and placed her hand in his. "Why yes, you may."

The two then walked onto the dance floor. All the while Jack looked on, jaw dropped. "What just happened?"

Morticia hummed in amusement, arms crossed as she glanced up at him. "Seems my husband decided to dance with your future wife," she commented playfully.

Jack looked over and noticed Gomez lead Sally around the dance floor. There were many unsettled, friendly, rivalries between the two males, one of the stronger ones being who was the better dancer. Not to be outdone, Jack turned and charmingly bowed with his hand out to Morticia. "Would you honor me the pleasure of a dance, dear lady?"

"Jack Skellington, I'd be delighted." She took his boney hand and together they made their way to the floor.

The pair easily fell in time with the music. The couples each danced around them, and though each pair kept an eye on their beloveds, it didn't distract them from their current dance partners.

Gomez smiled at Sally. "You are light on your feet, dear Sally."

"Thank you," she smiled gratefully before looking down at the recently added slit along the left side of her dress. "Morticia thought there'd be dancing and suggested I alter my dress a little. It's much easier to move in than before."

"Well you did fabulous work, though I doubt you ladies only spoke of fashion while you were away. Just what else were you two discussing, if I might inquire?" Gomez asked with a touch of mischief.

"Oh…this and that. Just a little–" She paused while thinking of the term. "–girl talk. Nothing to worry."

"Well, while you two made yourselves even lovelier—a feat I'm always amazed by—Jack and I had a rather nice chat."

"I thought so seeing another bottle of champagne on the table."

"Well, we had to celebrate. After all, I am going to be the best man at your wedding so I need to start practicing my toast, now don't I?"

"Oh! He asked you!" Sally squealed in delight. "I'm so glad. He wouldn't admit it, but I knew he was nervous about asking you."

"He said as much. He does tend to overthink and worry himself into an early grave, pun intended," Gomez slightly teased and sighed with a shake of his head. "Though I'm sure you know about that."

"Oh, you've no idea." She tittered, casting a wicked smile as her fiancé spun Morticia around. _How does she move so well in that tight dress?_ she wondered briefly before turning back to Gomez.

"Did he tell you, or by chance did you hear about what happened around December two years ago?"

Meanwhile, Jack was keeping a very careful eye on them. He was a little uneasy about the look he'd caught Sally giving him, and the way Gomez was getting excited unnerved him. He didn't have enough fingers to count all the times an excitable Gomez equaled mayhem.

"You haven't lost your touch," Morticia commented as he twirled her again.

Jack returned his attention and smiled. "Nor you, Tish. Dare I say you're even more graceful than I recall, even if we never had much time to dance."

"You know how Gomez is. I swear you are the only man he would allow me to dance with aside from dear Fester or Lurch."

"That's because I know better than to come between you." Jack gave her a wink, which made Morticia laugh. "By the way, I've asked Gomez to be my best man."

"Oh, how lovely! I'm sure he was excited."

"As ever, though I still feel a little bad what with it being such short notice."

Morticia smiled sweetly, reaching up to pat his cheekbone. "Jack, you worry far too much," she reassured. "I'll have to talk with Sally about how to keep her husband from worrying so."

Jack blanched a little at the word "husband," but he smiled nonetheless and thanked her. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his upper arm. He stopped and turned to find Gomez standing there, holding up Sally's hand.

"Mind if I cut in?" he asked, wiggling his brow impishly.

"Of course not." Jack bowed back as Gomez took ahold of his wife. He watched them glide onto the dance-floor, then turned to his own love. He grinned and swept her into his arms, surprising her a little.

"Oh!"

"About time." Jack's devilish grin grew as he pulled her closer to him. He lead them into the step, leaning down to the side of Sally's face. "Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"

Sally smirked. "I believe you made that very clear with that bold statement earlier. I thought you were going to behave yourself? Or is that the champagne talking?"

"Oh Sally love, you know it takes more than a little champagne," he replied before turning her in a dip. She was so startled that only her reflexes and Jack's strong grip kept her from falling. He pressed their foreheads together as he brought her back up. "If I'm drunk on anything, it's only on my love for you, _la mia bella sposa_."

"Aren't you worried Gomez might…" She cast a glance at the other couple. Jack followed her gaze and hummed approvingly. The couple was too enraptured with one another as they danced passionately, other couples had moved off the floor as the whole room was swept up in their love.

"He's rather busy at the moment," Jack said, a slight purr in his voice as he pulled his beloved doll closer. Sally gasped as he pressed a kiss to her neck, just barely nipping at her stitches.

"And if I may be a little selfish, I rather not let my old friend outdo me at romancing the woman I love."

 **XXX**

The car puttered down the road and it wasn't long before the Addams Manor came in sight.

"Looks like the house is still in one piece," Jack joked.

"Too bad, I was hoping maybe they'd turn the place upside down, even just a little," Gomez said with a pleasant tone. "Oh well! Always next time, right? Besides, looks like the lights are still on."

"Oh dear. I hope the girls were able to get the children into bed," Sally thought aloud.

"No worries. It's not even eleven, and I'm sure the children will be tuckered out after an evening with new babysitters," Gomez stated, pulling the car into the driveway.

As Gomez looked for the house key after everyone made their way to the house, Zero suddenly phased through the front door, and headed straight for Jack. He whined and pawed at his master, desperately trying to get his attention.

"Haha good to see you too, boy." Jack pet his dog's head. "Don't worry, we'll be home soon. Just have to collect Will and Al, then say goodnight."

"Jack, Zero seems pretty worried," Sally noted as the pup continued to whine. "I think something's wrong."

"What could be wrong?" Gomez asked.

It was then a very disheveled Al appeared in the entrance. Her clothes were ripped with flecks of what appeared to be ash, and she had some small cuts along her arms and face. She was taking deep, uneven breaths and her wide eyes were practically bloodshot.

"Oh! Al, are you alright?" Jack inquired.

"A-Ask.. Ask…" Her voice was harsh and she began coughing. She tried to control her fit before her eyes became hard. "Ask…them!"

They followed her finger as two sets of eyes quickly backed behind the doorway. The four adults quickened up the stairs and when they peered inside, they were greeted with quite the sight. The whole house was a wreck! Furniture turned over, foot and paw-prints everywhere, and dozens of spills that could neither be identified as solid or liquid. There was some smoke from what presumably was a recently put out fire, and standing at the center of it all were Wednesday and Pugsley.

"Hello Mother. Hello Father," the children said in unison.

"Children, what exactly happened here?" Morticia questioned.

"We were only playing, honest," Pugsley stated quickly. "We played hide-and-shriek, got to cook dinner, and we helped feed the pets."

"Truly we had a most wondrous time," Wednesday added. "But since the hour is late, I think _mon_ sibling and I shall retire."

They began making there way out when Zero flew over in front of them. He growled, not in a threatening way, but enough to make the children halt.

"Hold it you two." The children froze and turned back, each bearing a non-too-innocent expression. "What exactly happened here? And where are NJ and Will?"

"Well…" The children exchanged a glance. Before either of them could reply, Morticia walked over and knelt down. She noticed something peculiar about the children's clothing, and upon closer inspection she could see some kind of powder.

"Let me see your hands." They reluctantly held them out and that's when she saw chemical residue on both sets of palms. "Wednesday and Pugsley Addams. Didn't I specifically tell you both not to play in the laboratory?"

"T'was Pugsley, Mother!" Wednesday replied, pointing an accusatory finger at her brother. "I told him not to, but he wouldn't listen."

"Tattletale! You're the one who spilled Granny's potions chasing a stupid bat!"

"But you were the one to unleash dear Snappy so new Friend Al would not win the game!"

"I knew it!" Morticia glanced over her shoulder to find Al struggling to free herself from Jack's grip. "Wait till I get my hands on you, you rotten–"

"Thank you, Alice," Jack replied as he quickly covered the girl's mouth.

Before either could reply, NJ entered the room. "Okay, so I talked to Granny, and she said since it was a mix, it's gonna last– Oh hi, Mr. and Mrs. Addams!"

"NJ, my boy, what's going on," Gomez asked, "and why were you talking to Granny?"

"Didn't one of you children mention spilling potions?" Morticia added.

"Oh, well, it's a long story but what happened was–"

"NJ!" Both Wednesday and Pugsley ran over to him and began arguing in hushed tones.

"I think they'll find out when she wakes up," NJ argued aloud.

"When who wakes up? And really, where is Will? Children this is getting out of hand," Gomez finally said. "Now tell us what happened."

While they tried to get the children to confess, Jack was struggling to keep Al calm. Something was clearly upsetting her, but he couldn't calm her down enough to ask. Sally was about to intervene when Jack suddenly pulled back, dropping Al to the ground and running his palm on his pants in disgust.

Al picked herself off, wiping her mouth from the taste of bone, before turning to shout, "THEY MADE WILL AN ABOMINATION!" at the top of her lungs.

Everyone stared in shock while the children quickly spouted off excuses.

"I didn't do it, it was Wednesday!"

"Was not! He knocked over the potions!"

"You chased her into them!"

"You made it worse trying to use science!"

"I was trying to fix her. You were the one who messed it up!"

The children argued on about who was to blame, never once depicting what actually happened. Gomez and Morticia each tried to calm the bickering youths, but to no avail until Jack decided finally to step in. Reaching his fingers into the corners of his mouth, he pulled his jaw wide open and roared as loud as possible, the windows and chandelier rattled from the force of it.

The children instantly stopped their bickering and turned towards the Pumpkin King with mixed reactions.

"Now then," Jack began, "we would like you to calmly explain what happened here." He turned to Al. "Perhaps you could share, and then we will have the children's side."

"Bout time, Boney Butt," Al said before turning to address everyone. "For starters, everything seemed fine after you left. Which reminds me, your dog has a bad habit of disappearing. Pup's like a freaking cat."

"Ruff, ruff!"

"Shush Puppy, Momma's talking," Al barked back. "Now, where was… Oh yeah! So, when you all left, the kids wanted to play and me and the blonde boy made a bet: kids vs chicks, winner of hide-and-seek gets to make dinner for the losers. Will and I split up after I made her go bat to help find the little punks. And I woulda won had _someone_ not let loose all the man-eating beasts on me!" She made a point to glare at Pugsley, who retaliated by blowing a raspberry at her.

"Alice, you're spiraling," Jack noted.

"Okay, okay. Long story short: Pigtails here chased Willy Bat into a cabinet of witchy potions. Nothing happened at first, so she called the game off and I wrangled them into the kitchen while Will went to clean up. I made food, they ate and added whatever crazy stuff they wanted, and when Will didn't come I searched and, and… Well, just look!"

Al ran over to one of the rooms and threw open the doors. Zero had flown ahead, getting inside before the others could see. Al gestured for everyone to come over and take a look. Gomez kept ahold of the children as the adults moved in to see. Well, the sight they saw was rather shocking.

Lying across the couch with barely enough space to fit the form, a large creature slept. From what they could see, the creature looked reptilian in nature. The body was long and had polished snowy-white scales that ended with a snake-like tail, while two large, leathery reddish brown wings folded against its back. The back legs were curled under its body, hidden from view. Suddenly, the beast stirred and turned to face everyone. What had been thought to be a reptile now appeared to be feline, with flowing mane. The golden fur continued over the creature's chest and front legs, while having five digits ending in long claws.

Zero was hovering over the creature's head. He whimpered before floating down and nudging its furred cheek. As it turned its head, everyone could be seen that the face had feline features as well, though the ears were larger and pointed at the tips as large blue eyes stared at them.

Sally gasped. "Oh my! Will?" The creature nodded its head. She rushed over to its side and, after a moment of a hesitancy, she took the large head in her hands.

"Granny's potions did that?" Gomez asked incredulously. "Wow! We really need to start labeling those things, eh Tish?"

Jack walked over to Sally's side as she continued cradling Will's head. "Oh Will, I'm so sorry this happened again."

"Again? Has this happened before, Jack?" Morticia inquired.

"Yes. Unfortunately, Will has had a few other encounters with transformation serums," he explained. "Oddly enough, the second was a mixture of unidentified potions as well. Our witches tried to cure her but the antidote resulted in a permeant vampiric-like transformation. I had hoped that it wouldn't happen again."

Will flinched and used her tail to hide her face. Sally turned and nudged Jack's ribs. "Jack, you're embarrassing her," she whispered.

"Seriously, Will, you gotta be like the female Neville Longbottom for this kind of thing?" Al halfheartedly joked.

Will uncurled for a moment and made a deep, rumbling sound, some mixture between a lion's growl and a whale song, to which Al just rolled her eyes at.

"Don't get snippy, Miss," she said, "when you know darn well I'm just being honest."

Will huffed and turned back to sulking. This time her wings unfurled to cocoon herself. Seeing this, Zero whimpered and did his best to try cheering her up.

Meanwhile, Morticia had been going over everything they had learned. She turned to the children, recalling something brought up earlier. "Children, do you remember what bottles were spilt onto Will when the cabinet was knocked over?"

"No, Mother," Wednesday answered. "It was all very sudden. Not knowing t'was Friend Will as a bat, I was most surprised by the discovery when she emerged covered in Granny's potions. Potions and glass were everywhere, and fearing our safety, told us children to keep back whilst she cleaned the mess."

"I see… Didn't you also mention experiments? I still would like an explanation for those chemical compounds on your clothes."

"Well, you see, it's like this," Pugsley said next. "When Will started transforming at dinner, we didn't know which of Granny's things were used cause Will cleaned up. So I thought we could try using Uncle Fester's lab to turn her back."

"I, of course, thought the plan folly and went to look for Granny's spell book," Wednesday added. "Upon my return, _mon_ sibling and Friends NJ and Al were already proceeding with the experiments."

"Yeah, as in strapping my Will down like the Bride of Frankenstein. No offense." Al directed this to Will and Sally, who both nodded their acceptance before turning back to the discussion.

"When nothing happened," NJ continued, "I thought we needed to tell someone. I wanted to call you guys, Mr. and Mrs. Addams, but we didn't know the name of the restaurant, so I decided to call Granny and Uncle Fester instead."

"Good thinking, my boy," Gomez complimented.

"But," he resumed, "since we couldn't tell her what the potions were, Granny said it may take a while before they can be reversed."

"I see. Well then, I might have to take a look," Morticia said. "I know Granny's system fairly well. Perhaps if I can see what is missing from her supply, I can determine what potions were mixed and how we can undo it. Though we will have to keep in mind what experiments you used on her, Pugsley."

"Morticia, perhaps I could assist you?" Sally asked. "I am familiar with potions and Doctor Finkelstein ensured I had an understanding of chemistry."

"That would be wonderful." As the two ladies left to uncover the mystery, Jack and Gomez were left to determine their next course of action. They had several options.

For one, the house was a mess. Not an uncommon sight for the Addams Manor, but this was particularly untidy. It would take some time to clean, though perhaps they should attend to the children first. While the hour was late, and they should be in bed, they still needed to address that the children had broken the rule regarding the laboratory. Not to mention the fact they turned one of their baby-sitters into a chimera.

Jack turned to Gomez who looked equally as perplexed. "Any ideas?" he asked.

"I can think of a few." Jack looked down to find Al still glaring at the children. Ignoring her bitter expression, he looked again to his old friend.

Gomez scratched his head. "I'm stumped. To be honest, thought you'd be helping the ladies given your passion for science, Jack ol' boy."

"Normally, yes, but if you remember, Gomez, I wasn't the best with potions. Though that does give me an idea."

Jack suggested they all head up to the laboratory. Once there, he took a look around to get a sense of what happened then he turned to the children.

"Alright, why don't you children show me what experiments you tried using on Will."

There was a few moments of shifting eye contact among them before Pugsley stepped forward.

"Well, uh, I started over here." He walked over to where the chemicals lay. "I thought maybe I could reverse-engineer the potions to figure out what was in them. Of course, I needed samples to determine what was in the bottles."

"It was a good idea," NJ added, "except when we tried to get the materials, everything had already been cleaned up and thrown in the trash."

"That wasn't the problem. Will wouldn't let us go through anything, so I knocked her out and put her on the table."

Will growled at that, using her tail to smack Pugsley on the shoulder.

"Oww! Hey, I was trying to help!"

Al walked over. "You forgot to add that you were trying to dig through unknown magic liquids and broken glass," she stated with a bit of a snarl. "I like living dangerously but I wasn't gonna have more than one mutation happening tonight."

Pugsley rolled his eyes just as NJ decided to intervene. "When I noticed how protective they were being, I looked around to find something we could use to search the garbage safely," he explained. "It was really hard because everything was jumbled into bags so when that didn't work, Pugsley thought he could use Will's DNA to determine what happened."

"Yeah, and by that, you went and stuck her with a bunch of *bleep* needles," Al hissed. "*bleep* Why does that keep happening?"

Ignoring her comment, Jack turned his attention back to Pugsley. "Were you able to find anything from the blood samples?"

"Seriously? You're just ignoring that they stuck my girl with needles? They ain't doctors!"

"Al, it was necessary to determine what's causing her mutation. Now, Pugsley, you were saying?"

"Well…" he hesitated. "Actually, I couldn't exactly remember how Uncle Fester does it, but did the best I could. I'll show you." Pugsley walked over to the slide still holding the sample. "I set it all up like he taught Wednesday and me, but when I looked at it, I couldn't recognize anything. Here, see for yourselves."

Both men took a peek at the slide with everyone else gathering around while they debated over the results. Having already lost what little patience was left, Al shouted, "Today, boys! What is wrong and how do we fix it?"

"What are your thoughts, Jack?" Gomez inquired, his friend still under the microscope. "You and Fester had more luck reading these things. Think there's something we can do?"

The skeleton looked again and pulled back with a sigh. "I'm stumped! All I can tell is that everything is too complexly mixed. I would need Fester or Doctor Finkelstein for their expertise with mutations for something like this. I'm afraid until Morticia and Sally can deduce what concoctions were mixed, we are at a disadvantage."

Will moaned, prompting Al to start stroking her neck.

Jack looked over at them. "I'm truly sorry, Will."

It was a few moments before Sally and Morticia entered the laboratory. Everyone looked up, though it was Gomez who was the first to ask, "Able to find anything?"

"Afraid not," Morticia replied. "We did find several potions and ingredients unaccounted for. Blind Worm's Stine, Adder's fork, Werewolf saliva, lacewing flies, and leeches. Also missing were some knotgrass and fluxweed. There were a few others, but I'm afraid I can't tell what they are as we could only identify ones Granny doesn't have back stock."

"Oh dear."

"Still, there might be something we can do," Sally said. "Looking at what potions were missing, we might be able to–" Her sentence was cut off as the phone rang.

Gomez went to answer but when he picked up the receiver, the ringing continued. "Huh, that's peculiar."

"Darling, I think that's Granny's phone," Morticia added. "It's just in the next room."

With a yip, Zero quickly rushed out of the room and returned pulling a strange cart. Atop was an old fashioned pink dial phone with a bone in place of the receiver. Sure enough, it was the cause of the ringing but stopped before anyone could pick it up. Everyone quieted so they could all hear as the answering machine picked up.

 _Granny's Psychic Hotline. I'm sorry to tell you, dearie, but Granny's out of town for a spell. Just leave a message at the sound of the tone, and I'll get back to you on whatever is your supernatural need - and remember the toes know!_

The message ended with a sound similar to a fog horn. The next thing to happen was an audio message from Granny herself.

 _Hello, NJ? Wednesday? Pugsley? Oh dear, must be busy. I just wanted to mention one more thing. If you already tossed out the potions, there might be another way to fix your friend. I have an emergency reversal serum written in the back of my spell book. Try that. If it doesn't work I'll see about brewing something when I get back. Bye-bye all!_

"Well, that sounds promising," Jack stated when the call ended.

"I suppose it's worth a shot. Everyone wait here while I fetch Granny's spell book."

"Oh Mother, we have it right here," Wednesday said, holding up the book. "I set it on the table when I spotted Pugsley pour his crude mixture atop Friend Will's head."

"Yeah, but all it did was make her eyelashes thicker and give her longer whiskers. But the explosion was cool!"

"Still have some of that mixture, my boy?" Gomez asked. "Might need it for the reversal potion."

Everyone started working together to make the proper potion while Gomez whisked the children off to bed as the hour was late, though they did give the girls an apology. Al was highly skeptical in pardoning them while Will, despite having been mutated, seemed to easily forgive the children. She nuzzled the tops of their heads as a sign of her forgiveness before Gomez escorted them to bed. Zero went along to make sure the rascals stayed in bed.

Meanwhile, everyone else was in a tizzy. Sally and Will fetched ingredients while Morticia read the recipe from the book. Jack and Al helped by combining the ingredients together under Morticia's instruction. By the time they were done they had a vile looking mixture of a mucky green color.

"That should do it," Morticia declared. She walked over and held out the bottle to Will. "Do you need help with this, dear?"

Will shook her head. She moved to stand up on her hind legs so she could grasp the bottle. She guzzled down the mixture. At first, nothing happened. Everyone seemed disappointed until Will began to cough violently. Both Al and Morticia ran to her side, patting her back as she heaved. When the fit ended, she sighed.

" _Well, that was pointless._ "

"Hey! You've got your voice back!" Jack pointed out. She didn't sound quite the same though. Her voice was a little lower with a bit of a hiss, reminding him of a serpent he met once on a scare in South America.

" _Yeah but I still look like some bad cocktail of a mutant,_ " she commented dryly. " _Seriously, I should start carrying a punchcard or something._ "

"Sorry the potion didn't work," Morticia said.

" _It's alright. Given what Jack and Halloween have put me through, this is nothing._ "

"Not to worry, Will," Sally encouraged. "We might not have been able to reverse the potion, but I bet if we take you back to Halloween Town, Helgamine and Zeldaborne could find a solution."

"Excuse me, but didn't last time they tried that my girl became Bat Girl? I don't think hiding tail, scales, and fur gonna work out."

"Not to worry. I wrote down all the missing ingredients," Sally said, "and we could figure out the chemical compounds Pugsley used as well. Given that, I'm sure the witches will have a solution."

"Good thinking, Sally. Though it may take time," Jack added.

" _That's fine with me,_ " Will stated. " _I'll put up with anything to get back to semi-normal._ "

"Yeah sure but what about tomorrow?" Al asked, sidestepping to her friend. "Think you forgot that we got work and other *bleep* to do. Don't think your boss is gonna be up for Beastie Will."

" _Oh, fart sandwich! I completely forgot._ " Will buried her face in her hands. She groaned but then shot her head back up. " _Can't be helped, gotta call in sick._ "

"Would you like to use our phone?" Morticia offered.

" _No, the store is closed now so I'll have to wait until tomorrow. I just wish I'd called in sooner. My boss is gonna hate me for not giving more of a notice._ "

"No worries, I'll help you come up with an excuse."

" _Thanks Ally._ "

"Well, sounds like you've got everything settled," Morticia stated. "Please let us know if there's anything we can do."

"Thank you, Tish," Jack said, shaking his friend's hand.

"Anytime. And again, I do apologize for all that happened. Hey, I like a good mutation myself but it's not for everyone."

"Perhaps the next time we all meet up the end results will be more pleasant for everyone," Morticia added.

"Well, what a night!" Gomez exclaimed as he walked back into the room. "Certainly wasn't excepting all this on top of your proposal, Jack."

"Proposal? Boney Butt, aren't you already engaged to Rags?" Al questioned. She gave the skeletal monarch a snarky from. "You two timing this little doll behind our backs?"

Jack frowned while everyone else laughed at his expense. "Very funny. For your information, I just so happened to ask Gomez to be my best man."

"And here I was thinking Jack swung for both teams…" Al said with a sarcastic roll of the eye.

Meanwhile, Will let out a dramatic sigh of relief. " _FINALLY! I was worried you'd never get to it_ ," she said, her arms crossed. " _Thought for a moment you'd have the Mayor or another Holiday Leader to stand up with you. That's one less thing off my list._ "

"Oh? Do you still have much to do for the wedding?" Morticia asked.

Will nodded. " _Yep. With Jack busy as Pumpkin King, and Sally working on the dresses, I took over planning. Big mistake._ "

"If you like, I can offer a suggestion or go with any left over planning details," she suggested. "I've been told I'm quite the decorator, and I've planned a few Addams weddings. I'd be happy to share tips."

Will's eyes widened. " _Would you? That would be such a huge help._ "

"My pleasure. Why don't you have Jack give us a call when you're ready, and we can go over plans. I'd love to see what you've come up with."

"As long as we don't have to babysit," Al added quickly.

Both Morticia and Gomez chuckled. It was then everyone went about saying their goodbyes, quickly making plans to go over wedding details at a later date. They were almost out the door when Sally remembered they still had to retrieve Zero. Jack whistled for his ghostly companion, who appeared in a flash. He was carrying something in his mouth, which turned out to be Will's key.

Will slapped her tail over her eyes while Al listed off her theories—not to mention lecturing Will about being irresponsible—as Jack inserted the key into the door. They bid the Addams Family one last goodbye before stepping through the portal into Halloween Town.

The group found themselves walking out into the town square. Apparently they had just stepped out of Town Hall's backstage entrance. Oddly enough, not a soul was out as they made their way to the Witch Shop. Unfortunately, the shop was closed for the evening. Jack apologized and, seeing as Will wanted to get the matter solved in the morning—not to mention risk a fright and several questions from their roommate—the holiday monarch offered to put the girls up at the inn. The girls were more than happy to accept, especially Will. She wasn't so sure her new form would handle her bed, and there was no chance of her fitting through Jack's door. The girls bid the Pumpkin King and his bride goodnight, each girl getting a quick doggie kiss from Zero before they all departed.

Upon reaching their home, Jack and Sally decided to stay up a little longer before bed. Zero was too tired from all the fun he had catching up with the Addams' pets, and gave his Master and Mistress a sleepy lick goodnight before floating up to his bed in the tower.

Meanwhile, Jack and Sally were relaxing before the fireplace with a cup of tea.

"Tonight was very…exciting, wouldn't you say, Jack?" Sally asked, sipping her tea.

"Yes, it was. Granted, any time spent in the company of the Addams clan can be rather rambunctious, though this is the first unwanted mutation to happened." He still felt horrible about what happened to Will. The pattern of her being transformed really happened far too often. Next time she might not even be able to revert back.

Jack took a long sip of tea. _Perhaps I should ask the witches for a charm to prevent that. Would they have such a thing?_

"Well, at least a few things turned out all right," Sally said, interrupting her fiancé's thoughts. "Now Will has another helping her with the planning, and you've got a best man. Not to mention you rekindled a long friendship."

"Ah yes, I really didn't think Gomez would forgive me so easily."

Sally rolled her eyes. "I swear, if you go off on that tangent again, I'll–"

"You'll what, dearest?" Jack was now nose-to-nose with her. His tea long forgotten as he looked at his beloved with dark hooded sockets. She was quite taken back, making him smile in a devilish fashion. "Please, do tell me?"

Sally gulped. Suddenly the fire wasn't the only thing making her warm. She placed her cup down and tried to hold his darkened gaze.

"W-Well, I would… I'd…" Sally struggled to think as she felt Jack's finger fiddling with the stitching along her calf.

Jack chuckled. "You know, I meant what I said back at the restaurant," he continued in a casual manner. He used his free arm to pull his fiancée close until their hips touched. " _Penso che mi aiuterò al dessert. Proprio adesso!_ "

"J-Jack!?"

"Why Babydoll, why so surprised?" He chuckled again. Now his hand on her waist was gently squeezing her, his other hand going farther up her leg. He leaned in until his nasal socket was nuzzling through her red locks to get at her ear. "You should have known your little alteration would only stir me further."

Sally struggled with breathlessness, already feeling how wildly her heart was beating. She felt the warmth of her body increase as Jack's bones began to heat, massaging her wherever they touched. His nibbling on her ear moved down to her neck, stopping when he got to the choker.

"Hmm. That won't do," he whispered against her skin.

"J-Jack? What're you– Eeep!" Sally lost her train of thought when she felt Jack's pointed fangs graze her neck. She had forgotten the choker she wore was a simple tie in the back, and right now, Jack was untying it with his teeth!

"Loveling…" Jack purred, pulling the thread loose from his lady's neck. "Shall we continue this conversation, upstairs?"

Sally gasped. The choker brushed over her skin as Jack pulled back. He then tossed the choker aside and started nuzzling and kissing the back of Sally's neck. "Well love? Your answer?"

Unable to form words, Sally nodded, her head tilting toward the side to grant her fiancé more of her neck. Smiling into the groove of her neck stitching, Jack easily lifted Sally into his arms and pulled her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around him. He broke away from her neck to kiss her lips. He then tightened his hold on his ladylove and stood up, heading for their bedroom.

 **The End**

* * *

 **AN:** And another story completed! Hope the wait wasn't too bad and you enjoyed this latest installment. The next NBC story should be the wedding, but I'm not making promises on when that will come out. I still have other stories I'm working on. Plus, there's one or two of my old pieces that still need a proper updating. Maybe after Finals Week is over I'll have something new. Till then, happy reading everyone!


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